Falls and McLennan County Election Results

Here is a summary of the election results for Falls County, where I live. Pay attention to the numbers in red; we'll get to them in a minute.

President
John McCain: 59.35%
Barack Obama: 39.62%
Margin: 19.73%

U.S. Senate
John Cornyn: 59.17%
Rick Noriega: 39.28%
Margin: 19.89%

U.S. Representative, District 31
John Carter: 59.75%
Brian P. Ruiz: 38.56
Margin: 21.19%

Railroad Commissioner
Michael Williams: 49.76%
Mark Thompson: 47.54%
Margin: 2.22%

Supreme Court, Chief Justice
Wallace Jefferson: 49.73%
Jim Jordan: 47.14%
Margin: 2.59%

Supreme Court, Place 7
Dale Wainwright: 48.64%
Sam Houston: 47.94%
Margin: 0.7%

Supreme Court, Place 8
Phil Johnson: 52.32%
Linda Reyna Yanez: 44.72%
Margin: 7.6%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3
Tom Price: 50.26%
Susan Strawn: 47.06%
Margin: 3.2%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4
Paul Womack: 53.16%
J.R. Molina: 43.81%
Margin: 9.35%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9
Cathy Cochran: 81.91%
William Strange (Libertarian): 18.08%
Margin: 63.83%

State Representative, District 57
Jim Dunnam: 86.03%
Neill Snider (Libertarian): 13.96%
Margin: 72.07%

10th Court of Appeals, Place 2
Rex Davis: 53.50%
Richard Ferguson: 46.49%
Margin: 7.01%

Now for McLennan County.

President
John McCain: 60.19%
Barack Obama: 39.16%
Margin: 21.03%

U.S. Senate
John Cornyn: 61.31%
Rick Noriega: 37.31%
Margin: 24.00%

U.S. Representative, District 17
Rob Curnock: 39.96%
Chet Edwards: 59.29%
Margin: 19.33%

Railroad Commissioner
Michael Williams: 56.70%
Mark Thompson: 40.88%
Margin: 15.82%

Supreme Court, Chief Justice
Wallace Jefferson: 57.60%
Jim Jordan: 40.36%
Margin: 17.24%

Supreme Court, Place 7
Dale Wainwright: 55.25%
Sam Houston: 42.73%
Margin: 12.52%

Supreme Court, Place 8
Phil Johnson: 58.18%
Linda Reyna Yanez: 39.84%
Margin: 18.34%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3
Tom Price: 56.47%
Susan Strawn: 41.07%
Margin: 15.40%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4
Paul Womack: 58.26%
J.R. Molina: 39.64%
Margin: 18.62%

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9
Cathy Cochran: 87.76%
William Strange (Libertarian): 12.23%
Margin: 75.53%

State Representative, District 56
Doc Anderson: 86.56
David Meine (Libertarian): 13.43%
Margin: 73.13

State Representative, District 57
Jim Dunnam: 92.11%
Neill Snider (Libertarian): 7.88%
Margin: 84.23%

10th Court of Appeals, Place 2
Rex Davis: 59.79%
Richard Ferguson: 40.20%
Margin: 19.59%

Ok, that was the boring part, I promise. I need to say this before I go any further: I am not a statistician or a political analyst by any means, but I need to do some math.

You see, there are some numbers that stick out to me. Alright, the average margin of victory of Republicans over Democrats in Falls County is 9.285%. In McLennan County, it's 18.19%. For these averages, I excluded races in which a Republican or Democrat was running against a Libertarian because, no offense to Libertarians, but these races were, and usually are, blowouts.

It is my opinion that the down-ballot results are a pretty good way to tell how a county is divided, as far as political parties go. The fact is, most voters are not all that educated on who is running for office, other than the folks at the top of the ticket. Furthermore, I believe that the most "unknown" races are judicial elections. After all, presidential candidates, senators, and representatives know that they must keep their constituents happy to either win office or remain there, so they stay pretty visible througout the campaign season.

So, let's look at the numbers for the judicial races. In both counties, Republicans won every race. In the three Supreme Court places, and the three places on the Court of Criminal Appeals, all six Republican incumbents remained in office. In Falls County the average margin of victory for Republicans in judicial races was 5.08%. In McLennan County, it was just about 17%.

Alright, I am going to try to make this make sense. I am not trying to say that all voters in McLennan or Falls County are uneducated, but I can tell you that there was virtually no campaigning done here for the Supreme Court and none at all for the Court of Criminal Appeals. So, unless you made a point to research the candidates, there would be no way to know much about them. So what's an uninformed voter to do? I can think of three things.

One, vote straight ticket. Two, vote for candidates that you have heard of somewhere before. Three, vote for those who have nice-sounding names.

I think that a little bit of all of these things happened. Falls County is the perfect example of this. We are a small, poor county that does not receive much attention from "outsiders." With so few voters, there's really no reason to campaign here; it wouldn't have a big enough impact. So, when I see election results from my county, I wonder why people voted the way they did.

My argument is that most voters voted straight-ticket along party lines, unless there is something about a candidate that a voter deems unacceptable. The races that I think are most indicative of the political alignment of Falls County were: Railroad Commissioner, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 7 of the Supreme Court, and Place 3 of the Supreme Court. These elections were all decided by margins between 0.7 and 3.2 percent, with Republicans holding a slight advantage.

What about the other judicial races? The Democrat lost Place 8 of the Supreme Court by 7.6 percentage points, and Place 4 of the Court of Criminal Appeals by 9.35 percentage points.

Why were these particular races determined by a larger margin than seemingly equivalent elections? Example: what voter knows the difference in candidates of Place 2 vs. Place 8 of the Supreme Court? My argument is that some voters voted not only along party lines, but along racial lines, as well. The candidates that lost by the larger margins were Linda Reyna Yanez and J.R. Molina. Molina was widely described as an unfit candidate, but Linda Yanez was praised and endorsed by major state newspapers.

Let's do some more math. In races (including for president, excluding Libertarians, in Falls County only) where there was no well-known minority or candidate with an "ethnic-sounding" name, the Republican margin of victory was 3.38%. This seems to indicate that the county is pretty well evenly divided along party lines. However, in the presidential election and in races where a candidate with a Hispanic name, the margin was 15.6%. For the record, even though this seems more apparent in Falls County, the margin for a race without a minority in McLennan County was 15.51% and, for races with a minority Democratic candidate, it was 20.51%.

Also for the record, I did not factor Michael Williams's, Wallace Jefferson's or Dale Wainwright's race into this. They are all black Republicans, but, as there was so little campaigning done around here, it is doubtful that voters knew this. Also, they were incumbents and easily won their races.

So, while I am definitely not a "numbers" person, I recognized a trend. I may be reading too much into this, but I have seen so much racism in the days since the elcetion that these results jumped out to me.

Is there an solution to this problem? Probably not. Until racial sterotypes and prejudice are eliminated, and people make it a point to become informed, I doubt that we will see voters voting solely on the issues. There will always those who vote based on the way a person's name sounds. In all fairness, it seems that Democratic judge Sam Houston received a modest boost in numbers, likely because of his name. On the other hand, it also appears that Susan Strawn lost by a larger number than some of the other judicial candidates. Was it maybe because people voted for the male candidate over the female? We'll probably never know.

In conclusion, though there is nothing official about these observations, it is a sad commentary on the state of racial relations in Texas. I'm not black, and I will never understand what it is like to be black, but I am saddened by the reaction that I have witnessed in Central Texas to Obama's election, and I will not stop trying to fix it. I keep harping on the race issue, but let me say this once and for all: racism didn't end with Obama's election. We may have made progress, but there is still a long way to go.

Warm Fuzzies and Quotes of the Week

Since so much of my attention has been focused recently on the negative reaction to Obama's election, I need to redirect my thoughts to what has happened.

Obama won. Americans went to the polls and picked our next president by a large margin. No recounts, no intervention from the Supreme Court. He won this thing fair and square.

So, since I've been on the defensive pretty much since the results came in, here is a collection of things that have inspired me, made me laugh, or caused me to think.



Barack Obama, in his victory speech:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

Michael Gerson, former Bush speechwriter:

I suspect I will have many substantive criticisms of the new administration, beginning soon enough. Today I have only one message for Barack Obama, who will be our president, my president: Hail to the chief.

Rudy Giuliani, on whether he would support Obama:

You know what happens tomorrow morning when this is all over, or tomorrow afternoon, or whenever, or tonight? We all become Americans, and we support Barack Obama or John McCain 100 percent. Because if they fail, we fail.

Brian Williams, calling the election:

11 PM on the East Coast. We're back on the air and we have news. There will be young children in the White House for the first time since the Kennedy generation. An African-American has broken the barrier as old as the republic; an astonishing candidate, an astonishing campaign. A seismic shift in American politics.

Iman Bibars, Egyptian women's activist and, often, "sharp" critic of the U.S.:

When Obama won, I felt it was the return of the American Dream. I just cried
through the whole thing, because it gave me hope that the good guy will win, in
a world where good people don't normally win.

What some folks call impossible is just stuff they haven't seen before.
--What Dreams May Come.

Yes We Did

I just got back from watching history.

There will be time for analysis and criticism later. For now, I just want to reiterate how proud I am to be an American. As I watched Obama give his victory speech tonight, I couldn't help but feel that my future, all of our futures, had somehow depended on this election.

Looking at the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago was awe-inspiring. Actually, it was just inspiring. People of all ages, races, and ideologies gathered to watch history. As Obama thanked his supporters, I forgot all about the partisan sniping and attacks of the past few months. Obama praised John McCain as a great American, and I believed him. I decided that all of the complaints that I have about this election, the Republican Party, and politics in general could wait until tomorrow. I sincerely hope that we can all get behind Obama to make America, as my hero Barbara Jordan once put it, "as good as its promise."

There is one thing that cannot wait until tomorrow, however. I cannot abide the contined racism and fearmongering that some sore losers are still participating in. As the night progressed, and an Obama victory seemed inevitable, I began to get phone calls and text messages from people that I know who are small-minded bigots.

"I wonder if there might be an assassination attempt tonight," one wrote. Another, "Lol he is winning because of sympathy vote his mom died of cancer [sic]." One more, "I swear if Obama wins, someone is gonna hang him!!"

As much as listening to Obama speak tonight makes me feel like I should be better than stooping to the level of racist and ignorant people, I cannot emphasize strongly enough that this is unacceptable. I want to go on one of my usual foul-mouthed tirades, but I cannot. My only consolation is that one day, you people will burn in hell I saw tonight that there is still good in this country, and that if we work together, we can change things for the better.

The suspense is killing me!

Ok, I voted. I've tried to get everyone that I know to vote, which is a risky move, considering that i live 20 miles south of Waco, Texas, and that most people that I know are hard-core Republicans. There really is nothing meaningful left to be done. All I can do now is sit here, listen to the same old stories on the news, and wait.

Can't we just close the polls now and find out who our next president is? Well, I probably shouldn't joke about that, or I might give the Republicans a new voter suppression method...

I Voted

I just got back from voting, and things went pretty smoothly. I had a whole 3 people in front of me. Don't be alarmed. Turnout wasn't low, I just live in a tiny county (Falls county, if you care to know).

I did not vote straight ticket, because I get some strange satisfaction in actually voting for an individual that I have researched and read about. It's like taking a test that you have really studied for.

Anyway, I have to admit that I did not vote for every Democrat on the ballot. There were a couple of races that I was really torn over. I was the dreaded undecided voter. It's not quite as dramatic to be undecided over railroad commissioner or a judge for the Court of Criminal Appeals, however.

So, here's how it went.

At the top of the ballot, there was no question as to who I was going to vote for. Obama/Biden all the way. Ditto on our Senate race. I support Noriega. Although he may not have the experience that Cornyn does, should we really consider experience as a Bush yes-man a positive thing?

For U.S. House, I voted for the Democrat, Brian P. Ruiz, over incumbent John Carter. For State House, I picked Democratic incumbent, Jim Dunnam, who was opposed only by a Libertarian candidate.

There was little anxiety over my Texas Supreme Court picks, as I had decided a while ago to support Jordan, Yanez, and Houston. My only reservation is that current Chief Justice, Wallace Jefferson, a Republican, seems to be doing a resectable job. However, I find it unacceptable that the Texas Supreme Court is currently composed of 9 Republicans and 0 Democrats. We need to even things up a bit.

For the Court of Criminal Appeals, I wholly support Susan Strawn against Tom Price for Place 3, but I was torn over the other Democrat, J.R. Molina. Almost all descriptions of him lead me to believe that he may not be fit to hold office. The incumbent, Paul Womack, has been described in much the same way. I considered voting for the Libertarian candidate for Place 4, Dave Howard, but he really did nothing to let us get to know him. In two questionnaires that I read, he failed to provide a response. So, I voted for Molina just for the sheer fact that the Court of Criminal Appeals is just as unbalanced as the Supreme Court. They also need to even things up. For Place 9, I voted for the Libertarian William Strange, because there was no Democratic candidate, and, no offense to any Libertarians out there, but he doesn't sound like a nutjob.

Another race that I was torn over was for Railroad Commissioner. The incumbent is Michael Williams, a Republican. His opponents are Mark Thompson (D), a therapist for the blind and disabled, and Dave Howard (L). The Democrat, Thompson, is running for Railroad Commissioner because he feels that the commission has done nothing to improve pipeline safety. Every major Texas newspaper that I have read has endorsed Williams, and I honestly felt like I couldn't criticize Sarah Palin for being unqualified if I voted for someone who had never worked in the energy industry. With all of the criticism that the Democrats have been taking about blindly following Obama because of his lofty rhetoric and desire for change, I didn't want to vote for someone based on anything other than his or her qualifications. So (gasp!) I voted for a Republican.

For the 10th Court of Appeals, I voted for Democrat Richard Ferguson over Republican Rex Davis, who has signs EVERYWHERE. Ferguson has worked for the court for about three years, and, once again, will bring a balance of opinion to our court system.

The final races are the county races, and it is likely that no one cares about Falls County. But, I did add two more Republicans to my total here, as I voted for one unopposed Republican constable who has done a good job, and I picked the Republican incumbent for county commissioner, who also seems to do a good job.

More Crazy from the State Board of Ed

Cynthia Noland Dunbar, a member of the conservative gang on the Texas State Board of Education, recently wrote an article for the Christian Worldview Network. She began by saying, "Can we truly even imagine an America under an Obama Administration? I sincerely believe that an Obama Administration would ultimately mean one thing…the end of America as we know her."

Ok, so she's going for the Republican-invoking-fear thing. That's great. Also, the accusation that Obama is going to destroy American really only appeals to the uneducated, and since Dunbar is a member of the State Board of Education, she knows just how badly the board has failed, and that there are a whole lot of uneducated people in Texas.

Next, she says, "I cannot understand how we can potentially elect a man who most likely has violated the Constitution in his very attempt to serve as Commander and Chief."

I'm going to agree with Rachel Maddow here, and say that a Republican complaining about the violation of the Constitution can be compared to Colonel Sanders fighting for chicken rights.

Dunbar's argument is that Obama is not an American citizen because of time spent in Indonesia as a child. This fits right in with the whole Republican strategy of trying to make God-fearin' real Americans afraid of the foreigner socialist that is trying to take all their hard-earned money.

She then goes on to say that the courts will do nothing about this because of "our own militant leftist Judicial Branch." Excuse me? Bush has appointed only the most hard-core right-wingers to serve on the Federal bench during his administration. Dunbar needs to look no further than our own state to see that the judicial branch is definitely not militantly leftist.

Dunbar continues to ramble on and on about how if Obama is elected, the country will naturally be under martial law, but offers no evidence or even possible scenarios to back this up. It's pretty much, Obama is elected, and then, boom, martial law.

She closes with this: "I fear for our great nation and her potential demise should we as Americans elect Sen. Obama. I shall take no joy in saying 'I told you so' if Obama gets elected. But just for the record, remember, 'I told you so.'"

Alright, this is the person who helps decide what your children will learn. How blind are we that we will elect a person who seems mentally unstable and full of hate to serve in a position that affects kids? Unfortunately, Dunbar's seat is not up for election this year, but when it is, we need to get her out of there.

My Maps...

Okay, this is what I would like to happen. It may be a bit of a stretch in some states, but this is my prediction:Looks pretty good, right? But take away the "too close to call" states of Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, and North Dakota, and here's what you get:

We're still okay, but what if McCain gets other battleground states, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and Virginia?

This is why it's so important to get out there and vote. This thing is not over, it could still go either way. While the last map is probably a stretch for the Republicans, it is possible. So vote, people!

I used the Scenario Builder from CQ Politics to make my maps. If you want poll numbers and more, check out:

CQ Politics

The Cook Political Report

Tomorrow is the Day!

It is hard to describe how I am feeling right now. In less than 24 hours, I will cast my vote (I know, I should have voted early...) in what has been called the most important election of any of our lifetimes. The only thing that I can think of to compare this feeling to is the feeling that I used to have on the night before Christmas as a kid.

But now I am an adult, and things don't get me quite as excited as they used to. I consider myself cynical, jaded, and over-analytical, and yet, I am inspired.

Some say that it is all a con, this "Yes We Can" message. They say that we are being fooled by a man who is offering false hope for change. We are accused of either not knowing or ignoring the facts, and voting for our candidate based on his oratory skills or his skin color.

Whatever you think about Barack Obama and his supporters, you must admit this: We have come a long way. There was a time in our (very recent) history when Obama, as a black man, or Hillary Clinton, as a woman, could not even vote. Now, in 2008, both candidates very viable to be the leader of the free world. That is a step in the right direction.

What about those who refuse to step into this milennium? There are still people, lifelong Democrats, who vehemently oppose Barack Obama. Some people that I know consider themselves yellow dog Democrats but are voting for McCain. When I ask them why, they cannot come up with an answer. I don't think I am alone in assuming that their opposition is race-based.

So, even though we still have our Civil War holdouts, Texas especially, we are making progress. No matter which way the election goes tomorrow, we have made our mark on history. People have stood together and proclaimed that things are about to change. Politics will no longer be the "good ol' boys club" that it always has been. Some of us, who have never been interested before, are paying attention. We have learned that we have a voice and that there are people to speak for us.

No matter what happens tomorrow, things are going to change.

We'll Miss You, Sarah

Well. it's almost done. An election that has been two years in the making is about to come to a close. In just a little over a day, voters will go to the polls and potentially make history. The odds are looking good that Barack Obama will be elected as the next President of the United States. Without being overconfident, I am filled with hope for the direction in which our country is headed. However, there is one thing that makes me a little sad.

Where will Sarah Palin go?

Will she return to Alaska and fade back into obscurity or will she stick around, as some are predicting, to keep her name in the hat for 2012? I, for one, hope that she goes back to moose hunting in the Arctic. However, there is a part of me that will miss her and all of her Palinisms.

You see, I wanted to like Sarah Palin. Maybe it's the fact that she is a woman, and since there are so few women in positions of power that I subconsciously want her to succeed. But I supported Obama over Hillary, so I'm not one to vote for a woman just "because." It might have something to do with her hockey mom image, and the resolve that it must take to raise a disabled child, I don't know.

So, yeah, what's left of the small part of me that wants to conform, wants to like Sarah Palin. However, the rest of me roots for the underdog, the "other." Sarah Palin may claim to be a Washington outsider, but she stands for everything that is wrong with our current government. She is a bully, she is ignorant, and she is unwilling to listen to those who give her advice, trying to keep her from making a fool of herself. Though Sarah Palin looks like an All-American mom, she goes against everything I believe in, and that is why I cannot like her.

That being said, Sarah Palin's path to GOP glory has been about the most hilarious thing that I have ever seen. She puts George W. Bush to shame in the mis-speaking department. As a tribute to the woman that I will thoroughly miss making fun of, here are some of my favorite Palin moments.

1.) Tina Fey. First, there was the "Nonpartisan Message" from Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) and Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler). At the time, I thought it was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen. Then came the spoof of the Couric interview, followed by the Vice Presidential debate, and the meeting between the real and the fake Palins. There was also the QVC spot with fake Palin and fake McCain. Tina Fey has OWNED Sarah Palin, you betcha. Check out NBC.com for videos of the hilarity.

2.)The interview with Charlie Gibson. This is the first time we had the chance to become acquainted with Palin's uncanny knack for answering questions without actually answering them, or even really understanding them. For example, consider the question, asked by Gibson, "When I asked John McCain about your national security credentials, he cited the fact you have command of the Alaskan National Guard and Alaska is close to Russia. Are those sufficient credentials?" Simple yes or no question. Her reply? "But it is about reform of government. And it’s about putting government back on the side of the people. And that has much to do with foreign policy and national security issues." Ok, she mentions about four different talking points, and yet, no answer. Not all of us are sheep, Governor. And, of course, this interview is where Tina Fey's famous line, "I can see Russia from my house" is derived from.

3.)The Couric interview. Much like her first major interview, this was pretty much a disaster for the Republicans. Here, we learn that Palin reads all of the newspapers, not some, but "all of 'em, any of 'em that have been in front of me over all these years." Also, she defended Alaska's proximity to Russia as foreign policy experience.

4.)Alaskan women hold an anti-Palin rally. I found this on Snopes. Apparently, there are some women in Alaska who are not big fans of their governor. Check out the page to see pictures. My favorite signs are "Hockey Mama for Obama" and "The Alaska Disasta." I love it.

5.)Thanks, but no thanks. We all know that Palin supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it but, by God, she stuck to her story as long as possible.

6.)Say it ain't so, Joe! Palin's excessive usage of first names or nicknames sometimes strikes me as being condescending (Can I call you Joe?). It reminds me of Bush (You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie). Anyway, this debate was full of this fake familiarity. Here's a snippet from her debate with Biden:

"Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right? I say, too, with education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving. Teachers needed to be paid more. I come from a house full of school teachers. My grandma was, my dad who is in the audience today, he's a schoolteacher, had been for many years. My brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here's a shout-out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate."

Gotta love it.

7.) Palin Goes Rogue!!! A slew of McCain aides recently came out semi-publicly saying that Palin has become unmanageable, and will not stick to her script. She has disagreed with McCain over pulling out of Michigan and the robocall issue. Here's what one so-called McCain supporter said:

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone. She does not have any
relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. Also, she is
playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party.
Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the
beginning and end of all wisdom."

Wow, divas trust only unto themselves. I'm sure that's in the Bible somewhere...

8.) The Palin-McCain White House? At one rally, Palin reversed the order of the names on the ticket. Freudian slip, perhaps?

9.) A special place in hell... Palin misquoted Madeline Albright as saying, 'There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women." So, I'm going to hell? Great, first Palin says that I'm not a real American, now I'm going to hell. This definitely hasn't been my year...

10.) The wink. No matter what she says, the wink seals the deal. For Palin-supporters, the wink is reassuring, and makes them feel comfortable with her. For the rest of us, the wink means, here we go, another four years of this...Bush's giggle has been too much, four years of McCain's leadership alongside Palin's wink might just kill me.

That's all for tonight, but I have a lot more coming tomorrow, on Election Day Eve. I am going to have trouble sleeping until the results are in. The excitement (and worry) is just too much.

Stolen Yard Signs

One issue that has gotten a lot of press this election year is the stolen yard sign issue. I'm pretty sure that petty, childish people will always use this tactic to get "revenge" for the opposing views of their neighbors, but it seems to have been happening with increasing frequency lately. This was actually an issue on the Opinion page of the Waco Trib this morning. Bill Whitaker mentioned that a huge McCain-Palin signs was stolen from the McLennan County Republican Headquarters, until the party chairman, M.A. Taylor "complained mightily to the press." The sign was returned.



Anyway, I definitely don't condone stealing yard signs or bumper stickers. I live in a solidly Republican area, and I am just waiting for the day when I walk out to my car and see my two Obama stickers and my "So, the Dixie Chicks were right after all" sticker gone. So, while I may grumble at people who display Republican stuff, I would never infringe on someone's right to free speech that way.



Not everyone thinks this way. There have been numerous examples of people stealing signs during this election. There are videos on YouTube, stories on the news, and stories that I have heard from friends and others. I even talked to someone today who confessed to removing a McCain sticker from an old lady's car.



Shannon Bennett, from Austin, found an interesting way to deal with this problem. After having Obama yard signs stolen, Bennett took 12 cans of spray paint and made her entire lawn into an Obama sign, saying, "They might think it's extreme, but I think it's extreme to come into my yard and take something that belongs to me, so I wanted to express myself."


Here is the result:

Ah, indignation and spray paint are a nice combination.

Dear Republicans...

Listen guys, I really don't want you to win this election. I think you have had your turn, and you screwed things up big time. But, do you know that you haven't lost yet? With all of the buzz about Sarah Palin "going rogue," anonymous members of the McCain campaign have been coming out of the woodwork pointing fingers. Can't you at least wait until the election is over until you start the blame game?

I'm not going to complain, because every pointed finger and every accusation is a nail in your coffin. However, you guys are really starting to plan for the loss. Here is what one McCain aide (who is said to be a former member of Mitt Romney's campaign) said:

"Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012. The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney. He's in charge on November 5th."

Okay, even when things are going badly, I think it is best to maintain a positive appearance. The above quote is just one example of how you guys have abandoned hopes of winning this race. However, when the day is done, I am still a strong Obama supporter who chuckles just a little bit every time I see something like this. If you guys want to hand it over to us, that's great. The Democrats have been laughed at in recent years for the uncanny knack for blowing elections, but it looks like the tides are turning.

Thanks for doing all the work for us,

Tiff

P.S.: Since you're throwing in the towel, did you really have to put the Jeremiah Wright ads back on the air up north? It's just making you look silly.

With all the buzz about what Palin's been wearing...

Ah, Sarah Palin, you make it too easy.

Here's a picture (from jezebel.com) of Palin wearing a donkey-emblazoned scarf at a recent rally.

So, while some Palin-supporters are arguing that someone gave the scarf to her at the rally, and while I agree that this Republican fashion faux pas is not as important as her views on how to be an executive, this is just one more strike against Sarah Palin.

Have we not learned our lesson from Bush?

Sure, some of these little mistakes are cute or funny on the campaign trail, but what happens if Sarah Palin has to step up and be president? Do we want another four years of mispronunciations (it's nu-cle-ar, for God's sake) and "misunderestimations?"

I am warning you, Sarah Palin is George W. Bush with a Yankee accent.

Rolling Stone Interview with Barack Obama

The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine features a half-hour interview with Obama about "how George W. Bush screwed up, why John McCain turned ugly, and what he's learned from Bill Clinton." The interview captures both Obama's enthusiasm and exhaustion, and, of course, outlines Obama's plans for Iraq, the economy and the White House.

Here are some of the highlights.

RS: The campaign has taken a nasty turn in the past few weeks. Has it changed your opinion of McCain personally, the way he's run his campaign?
Obama: I just think he wants to win. And I think he's decided that the environment's not a good one for Republicans, so he's going to do what he thinks is necessary. I am surprised that he would hire people who are aonnected to the same kind of destructive politics that bush directed at him in 2000.
RS: Were you disturbed by the disdain he exhibited toward you during the first debate?
Obama: No. I think that's a sign that we must be doing pretty well.

RS: Is there anything you feel you can learn from him (Bill Clinton), as a candidate and as a person?
Obama: Oh, I've already learned a lot from him...Bill Clinton did a lot to make Democrats seem like they were in touch with the ordinary aspirations of a great number of Americans. That, I think, stopped the hemorrhaging of independent voters and Reagan Democrats into the Republican Party, and gave us the space and the opportunity to start reaching out to them. So I'm still in debt to Bill Clinton for what he accomplished.

If you're in the White House and could install any one play toy--bowling alley, water polo--what would it be?

Obama: Basketball court. If we can get an indoor basketball court, I'd be happy.

Obama on education: One of the ironic things about the war in Iraq, as well as this Treasury rescue plan, is that it reminds us that when we feel a sense of urgency about something, we spend an awful lot of money. And the amount of money required to educate every child and send them to college pales in comparison to the amount of money that we're spending on things that could have been avoided had we made better decisions.

Obama on being underestimated: No point in having them see you coming.

Random interview quotes: GQ says I'm pretty well-dressed, but Michelle scoffs at this because she sees patches on my pants.

...this is going to be a transistional moment for the United States. We have these moments periodically. Obviously, I wish that the Bush administration had not run things into the ground so bad, but no matter what, we would have had some big decisions to make (at the beginning of his potential presidency).

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While there is really nothing new in this interview, and while it probably won't change any minds, it's still a good read. The interview took place on Barack and Michelle Obama's 16th anniversary, and Obama jokes about the present that he got for his wife, saying that she may or may not like it. Plus, Obama's admission to owning a worn-out pair of shoes and patched pants provides a nice contrast to the extravagant Republican wardrobe.

Also, as a broke and struggling college student, I enjoyed reading more about his plans for education, which include a $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for 100 hours of community service. I think this is a fair exchange, and will provide young people with a more balanced college experience.

So you think you know who's running for president?

I picked up a copy of the League of Women Voters Guide to the ’08 General Election today. My first surprise was that there are some men in the League of Women Voters. That’s not really important, just interesting. Anyway, I always knew there were write-in candidates in presidential elections, but no one really pays that much attention to them. So, although, I have made up my mind (Go Obama!), I thought I would do some research on the write-ins and the Libertarian on the ticket. Here they are:

Bob Barr (Libertarian)

VP: Wayne Allyn Root

My understanding of the Libertarian Party is that they support minimal government and strong civil liberties. So they are kinda like socially liberal Republicans, or maybe fiscally conservative Democrats, or…something like that. So, when I’m reading about Bob Barr, this year’s Libertarian nominee, I’m wondering why he isn’t just a conservative Republican. This is the guy who was a leader in the Clinton impeachment. Oral sex could technically be considered a civil liberty, and yet, Barr led the way in trying to oust Clinton. He has also voted to outlaw medical marijuana, voted FOR the Patriot Act, FOR the Defense of Marriage Act, FOR the Iraq War, and FOR banning certain religious practices in the military. Most of these things he has come to regret. Here’s an interesting tidbit: Barr appeared in the movie Borat.

Ralph Nader (Independent/Independent-Ecology Party/Peace & Freedom Party/Natural Law Party)

VP: Matt Gonzales

Honestly, I really don’t have a strong opinion about Ralph Nader. I think the good and the bad cancel each other out. All of the “good” stuff that he advocates, alternative energy, conservation, safety in the workplace, disability rights, clean drinking water, women’s rights, and the list goes on, can’t help me get over the perception that he somehow stole the Presidency from the Democrats in 2000. I was way too young to get it then, but looking back, and thinking about how differently things might have been had Gore won Florida, makes me a little angry. I know every analyst says that Bush would have won anyway, but still…It seems that Ralph Nader is a good guy that stands up for those who often can’t stand up for themselves, but let’s hope that he doesn’t get too many of Obama’s votes...

Brian Moore (Socialist Party USA)

VP: Stewart Alexander

Before reading about this party, I wasn’t sure that Socialism was even a valid political party in the U.S. Basically, Brian Moore is antiwar, supports socialized medicine, boosting the employment rate, and providing housing for all citizens. Moore comes from a humanitarian background, working in the Peace Corps in his youth. The former Democrat has called for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. The problems with Socialism include poorer quality healthcare, even if it is more affordable, and a drop in “morale” in workers. The argument is that if everyone is guaranteed their slice of the pie, why work for it? A classless society seems nice on paper, but it doesn’t really work. We do have a problem with the rich getting richer while the poor struggle, and Obama did use the phrase “spread the wealth around,” but he’s not a Socialist. Obama wants to stop giving tax breaks to the rich. In a Socialist society, there would be no rich at all. Even for a broke college student like me, I don’t think that putting an end to the American Dream is the answer.

Alan Keyes (Independent/American Independent Party/America’s Independent Party)

VP: Wiley Drake

Where to start? Keyes has run three times for president, in 1996, 2000, and 2008. Needless to say, he hasn’t won yet. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, despite never having lived in the state, and despite criticizing Hillary Clinton for doing just about the same thing when she ran for the Senate as a New Yorker. He lost the Senate race, by a landslide, by an up-and-coming politician named…Barack Obama. The Obama-Keyes race got pretty ugly, according to Obama in The Audacity of Hope, so maybe Keyes is out for a little revenge in 08? But then again, maybe not. Anyway, dude’s a little bit crazy, and has seen his share of controversy in his political career. Finally, something that’s not relevant, only ironic: like all good conservatives, he has a lesbian daughter that he has reportedly disowned.

Cynthia McKinney (Green Party)

VP: Rosa Clemente

Cynthia McKinney takes a lot of interesting positions. To me, it seems that she has constantly teetered on the edge of insanity during her congressional career. For instance, she has proposed that details regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. be made available to the public. Okay, this makes sense. People should be able to learn more about the death of a historical and inspirational figure…I can see that. Then, however, she goes through the same motions for Tupac Shakur. Maybe she was trying to make the point that we invest too much time worrying about celebrities, or maybe she was trying to suggest that Tupac isn’t dead. After all, new music from him surfaces all the time, but I just think that with all of the things we have going on, the war, the economy, whatever, don’t we have better things to worry about? She, like Brian Moore, has introduced articles to impeach Bush and Cheney, and she did the same for Condoleezza Rice.

Jonathan Allen (Independent/HeartQuake)

Can’t find too many specifics on this guy, other than that he is a businessman, who believes that his candidacy is a breath of fresh air from the broken two-party system that we currently have and that, if voters really want change, they should vote for him. I don’t think there is anything wrong with running for president just for the hell of it…unless you actually win. Then people have to listen to you stumble through speeches for eight long years wondering if all Texans are retarded, and watch an ill-conceived war unfold that never should have happened. Then I have a problem with it.

Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party)

VP: Darrell L. Castle

Without knowing anything about this guy, or the Constitution Party, I was thinking that someone who represents a party with the word “Constitution” in its name might have some good ideas. I was wrong. It seems that Baldwin is against most of the “good” things that we associate with our Constitution (remember when it was more than a “goddamned piece of paper?”). Here are some things and people that this candidate opposes:

• abortion
• women in the military
• Barack Obama
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Abraham Lincoln (according to Baldwin, he is one of the two worst presidents in history, alongside Woodrow Wilson.)

Okay, so he sounds like your average conservative. And a racist. But here are some more people that he is against:

• George W. Bush (too liberal)
• Dick Cheney
• John McCain
• Sarah Palin
• Jerry Falwell (doesn’t it seem like Falwell would be right up his alley?)
• Mike Huckabee.

So, what does he like? Apparently, racial profiling and the Confederacy. This guy sounds quite unpleasant…The more I read about him, the more I like Sarah Palin (gasp!) Oh, and he’s a Baptist minister. I wonder how many of his parishioners are convinced that they are going straight to hell?

Thaddeus Hill (Madisonian Federalist Party)

I’m not even sure this guy has a website, or a MySpace, or anything, but why not run for president anyway? I can almost hear the drunken conversation at the frat party now... "What the hell? It’ll be fun! And Madisonian Federalism sounds smart, so let’s go for it!!!" I wonder if someone has to do a shot everytime the economy is mentioned?

Some other “notable” candidates that are either on the ballot or are qualified write-ins in other states are:

Charles Jay (Boston Tea Party/Personal Choice Party)
Ran in 2004 with a female porn star, strongly advocates gambling. Although most of his campaign seems to be a joke, he is an advocate of getting young people involved in the political process. That’s respectable enough.

Jack Grimes (United Fascist Union)
I am hoping to God that this is meant to be satirical…Hopefully, if this guy was serious he could at least afford his own domain name.

Jonathon “The Impaler” Sharkey (Vampire, Witches, and Pagan Party)
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.

Gene Amondson (Prohibition Party)
I didn’t really even have to look this one up to know that I don’t like it. His website does have video of him being interviewed by Jon Stewart, which should be pretty funny, but, at least to me, prohibition is nothing to joke about.

Cris Ericson (Marijuana Party)
This is super-self-explanatory.

So, while I fully support Barack Obama, and encourage you to do the same, this is just to let you know that there are options. While they range from amusing to horrifying, isn’t is great that, as Americans, we are free to run for the highest political office in the land under almost any platform that we choose? I think that says a lot about us a nation. Also, no matter how stupid the rest of the world considers us, we should hold our heads high knowing that, at least this time, one of these idiots will (most likely) not be elected.


League of Women Voters
List of Independent, Third Party, and Write-In Candidates
And, of course, Wikipedia

My first post!!!

Ok, I have recently realized that my MySpace was getting to be a bit too politically charged lately. With all of the excitement surrounding the presidential race, and what is turning into a vice-presidential race, I realize that I might have gone overboard with the political ranting blogs. I'm sorry (not really, but it sounds nice).

I have decided to put all of my thoughts about the upcoming election here instead of on my MySpace blog. This is where I will post all of my daily thoughts on current events. I will continue to post any major exciting (or depressing) news on MySpace, but I am going to put all of the boring stuff that no one really cares about here. Enjoy!